End-gate fastener.



C. W. GEYER.

END GATE FASTENER. I ARPLiCATlQN FILED DEC. 12. I916.

1,242,543. I Patented 0015.9,191?

a r s ra CLARENCE w. GEYER', or DONOVAN, innmoisi I END-GATE mammajb-all whom it ma' conccrh I Be'itknown that I, CLARENCE W. GEYER, acitizen of the'United States, residing at Donovan, in the county ofIroquois, Stateof Illinois, have invented certain'new and usefulImprovements in End-Gate Fasteners;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription; of, the invention, such'as will enable others skilled intheart to which it appertains to make and use the same. V

This invention relates to wagons and has special reference to an endgate and fastener therefor adapted to be used totclose the rear. ends ofwagons, the gatebeing formed of two hinged parts and the fastener beingarranged to hold the partsinalinement when in one position and permittheir folding in'a second position. v

One important object of the invention is to improve and simplify thegeneral construction of devices of this character.

A second important object of the invention is to provide an improved endgate and fastener therefor which will have novel means for holding thegatein position and the parts in alinement. a

With the above and other objects in view, as will :be hereinafterapparent the invention consists in general of certain novel detailsofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described,illus 'trated in the accompanying drawing, and

specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, likecharacters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and: a

Figure 1 is a rear view of a wagon with the end gate fastener in itsclosedposition;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the end gate fastener in the openposition, one of the rods used herewith being shown in full lines in theposition assumed when the two parts of the gate are held in alinementand in dotted lines when the two parts of the gate are permitted to befolded;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of therear end of a wagon showing the deviceapplied thereto;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4.-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. Fig. 1.

In carrying out the object of this invention there is provided a wagonbody having 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Specification of LettersPatent. Patented Application file'd December 12,1916. Seria1'No.136,483.

bottoinlO and sides On these sides are the spaced guide members 12 whichare arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the-wagon. Extending throughthe wagon sides and opening between the guide memhers of each pair is avertically elongated slot 1 3, the Touter end of which is protected.

by arectangular plate 14 having a suitable openingin its center andprovided-with a rib 15 extending transversely across the lower end.-

e 3 The gate itself consists of a'major member 16 and a minor member 17which are connected by means of hinges 18. ['These members, when inalinement, fit-between the guides 12. On the major member is providedapivot 19 .whereon is pivoted a lever 20, the lever being-provided .onone end with a handle 21. This lever-is pivoted intermediate its ends tothe pivot 19 and the handle ,end of the lever works over a 1 retractedas shown iii-Fig. 2. When the rods project through the opening and thehandle 21.is swung to the right the hooks 2t,w hichare formed on theserods, will be free from the sides and if now therods 23 be grasped bythe hands itwill be seen that saidv rods may 'be. moved tosthe positionshown in Fig. 2. When the handle 21 is ,swung to thefposition shown in1;these hooks; will engage the ribs 15, the points of the hooks beingcurved inwardof the wagon for this purpose. Thus when the parts are inthe position shown in Fig. 1 the outer Or free ends of the rods 23cannot be lifted so as to accidentally slip through the opening andrelease the gate.

'In order to properly guide the bars 23 and to prevent them from fallingout of position when retracted as shown in Fig. 2, there is provided onthe member 16 the guide 25'through which one of these bars passes, theguide being elongated so that the bar has some freedom of verticalswinging movement. This guide holds this bar in position so that thebeveled end 26 of the bar can ride over the lower edge of the slot I 13when the bar is projected. On the other member 17 is provideda guide 27which 18 open at the top. Thisguide also holds its bar 23 so that itsbeveled end 2692M ride over the lower edge of the corresponding slot.-.However, when the parts are retractedas shown in Fig. :Z'then theguide 27, which is open at the top, permits the bar 23 to be raised tothe dotted line position shown inthat figure. Thus the member 17 isfreed from the restraining influence or" the bar 23 and may be moved onits hinges. By means of this construction the two members 16 and 17 maybe placed in position by si1n ply bending them into angular relationwith one another and then inserting the ends between the guides 12 andstraightening the two until they come into alinement. When they are inalinement the bar 28 at the right may be dropped into engagement withthe guide 27 and the parts manipulated just as though the end gate was asolidboard. It is obvious that by reversing this action the board may beremoved without raising it vertically.

There has thus been provided a simple and efficient device of the kinddescribed and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that many minor changes may be made in the form andconstruction of the invention without departing from the materialprinciples thereof. It is not therefore desired toconfine the inventionto the exact form herein shown and described but it is wished to includeall such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. An end gatefor Wagons having sides provided with spaced guides arranged in opposedpairs and having vertically elongated slots opening through the sidesbetween the guides, said end gate comprising major and minor. membershingedly con nected, and a fastener for said end gate arranged to holdthe members in alinement and in position in the wagon and comprising alever pivoted intermediate 1ts ends to said ma or member and havlng ahandle .en d,\a ratchet bar fixed to the major member rods, the guide onthe minor memberbeingopen at the top topermit swinging of its rodfreetherefrom. v i

An end gate for wagons havingv sides provided with spaced 'guidesarranged in opposed pairs and having vertically elongated slotsopeningthrough the sides be tween the guides, said end'gate' comprising majorand minor member's hingedly conmelted, and a fastener-for said end gatearranged to hold the member-sin alinement andin position in the wagonand comprising a lever pivotedintermediate its ends to said major memberand having a handle end, a ratchet bar fixed to the major member in thepath of the handle end of the lever, rods having respective endspivotally connected to the lever on opposite sides of its pivot, saidrods being projectable throughthe slots and havinghooks on their endsengageable with the sides of the wagon, guides on said gate membersreceiving said rods, the guide on the hinged member being open at thetop to permit swinging of its rod free therefrom, said hooks havinginwardly directed points, and plateson the wagon sides having ribs overWhiclisaid points engage.

In testimony whereof, I atliX my signature," in the presence of twowitnesses. CLARENCE XV. GEYER.

,"Nitnesses:

'J. E. CARR, GEO. Gnrnn.

fiopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

washington m Cl

